31 Days
by DownWithFinchel
Summary: There's a defining moment in everyone's lives, where you change. You grow up and you learn that the world is far different from the one you've created in your head, the one you've believed for however many years you've been alive. For Rachel Berry, that defining moment was the first time she stepped foot in to Carmel High School. Puckleberry Endgame. Shelby. Faberry friendship. AU.


**A/N: This is an AU, OOC story. Please note: I've combined both McKinley and Carmel. It's be fairly evident, but just so you all know. Shelby is Rachel's mother, but that won't come up for a long time. Day One is simply a start of chapter, and the next the story should really pick up. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in reviews, or PM me. Take a look at my profile for information on stories I will write for, and won't write for, about or anything of the sort. The majority if not all of my stories will be glee related, and if you look there you'll find preferred ships and what not. Also, if there are any one-shot prompts (I may turn in to multi-chapter) feel free to send them in. I love to write. All characters will seem OOC, probably. This is due to the fact it's set in a not tolerance school, meaning no bullying, and it's AU, because I wanted it like that.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own glee.**

**Day One**

There's a defining moment in everyone's lives, where you change. You grow up and you learn that the world is far different from the one you've created in your head, the one you've believed for however many years you've been alive. For Rachel Berry, that defining moment was the first time she stepped foot in to Carmel High School

Rachel shouldered her back pack, turning around to wave at her mother.

"Make friends this time Rachel. I know with moving around all the time, saying goodbye can be hard, but please. I hate seeing you so lonely."

Rachel sighed, nodding as she waved, Meredith Watson smiling sadly before driving away. She glanced around the area, lowering her eyes as she noticed people staring at her. Every time she moved, she always ended up entering a new school half-way through a term. Every time! She sighed again, her head still lowered as she walked towards the Main Office. She pushed open the door, her fingers leaving marks on the glass. She winced, pulling up her sleeve and wiping at it, removing the finger prints. She looked up, ducking her head quickly as she noticed the three adults in the room staring at her. Walking up to the desk, she handed a note and her id to the lady sitting down.

"I'm Rachel. Rachel Watson. I-I'm new."

She glanced up through her lashes, the woman smiling at her kindly as she took the note. She had leant forward, trying to hear Rachel through her soft, barely there voice.

"I'm Elaine sweetie. If you need anything, come straight here. Here's your schedule," She handed her several papers, and Rachel turned her head. The other two adults, whom she assumed were teachers, watching them quietly. "And here's your locker combination. You'll be in Ms Holiday's Homeroom. I can have someone come here to show you around, if you'd like." Rachel turned back to Elaine, nodding slightly. "Okay, great. I'll just send the message, if you'd like to take a seat." She gestured to the series of chairs beside the desk.

Before Rachel could sit, a man poked his head out of a door to the left.

"Actually, I'd like to speak to Ms Watson before she leaves for Homeroom."

Rachel nodded, shifting her bag on her shoulder and smiling at Elaine, whispering a soft 'thank you' before joining who she believed was Mr Coldell, the Principal. She sat in the chair in front of his desk, the man shutting the door behind her before taking his own seat.

"Now Ms Watson, I understand you've skipped a grade? This would be due to home schooling, am I correct?"

Rachel looked up, keeping eye contact. _Always keep eye contact with those above you._ It was one of the many rules Rachel lived her life by. It was a sign of respect, and in turn, one should receive the same courtesy.

"Yes sir."

Coldell nodded, smiling happily.

"Now I've reviewed your past works, and I must say I'm impressed. Whoever taught you is quite the teacher."

Rachel winced, looking down.

"Was, sir."

She looked up in time to see him wince, his hands fidgeting on the desk.

"Yes, I apologize. I'm sorry for your loss."

Rachel nodded, looking back down.

"Now there are a few things we need to sort out. In order to graduate, every student needs to have two extra-curricular activities listed, along with gym participation. As I was informed by your mother, you run every morning correct? For an hour?"

Rachel nodded again, biting her lip.

"Yes sir."

Coldell nodded, writing something on the slip.

"Well then, I believe that should suffice for gym participation in regard to freshman through to junior year, however you will have to participate in gym this year, and you r senior near next year."

Rachel nodded, sighing. _If she was still here by then_.

"As for extra-curriculars, we have an excellent show choir, Vocal Directions, they're currently hold eight consecutive National wins, or there's our Cheerio's, out National Elite Cheerleading team."

Rachel winced, shaking her head.

"I don't sing, and I can't cheer."

Coldell nodded, glancing at a list and then her files.

"You like photography, yes?"

Rachel nodded, a small, _real_ smile gracing her lips.

"I love photography sir."

Coldell smiled, writing something down again.

"You could join our Newsletter, they're in need of a new photographer. That just leaves you with another… Perhaps a sport?"

Rachel shrugged, biting her lip.

"I like to run sir. And swim."

Coldell grinned, sitting straighter.

"We have excellent Track and Swim teams. Perhaps if you're not too over-whelmed, you could join both."

Rachel nodded, shifting in her seat.

"Okay."

He nodded, looking down as he wrote on the papers, when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

Rachel turned her head slightly, a loose strand of hair falling in to her eyes. She brushed it away as a blonde girl in a red cheer uniform entered, folders secured in her arms and a back pack slung over one shoulder.

"Ah, Ms Fabray. Excellent. I assume you've been asked to show our new student around?"

The girl nodded, smiling at Rachel as she extended a hand.

"Quinn Fabray."

Rachel smiled slightly, taking her hand and shaking it.

"Rachel Watson."

She turned to look at Coldell, the man looking at his papers. He glanced up, waving off the two of them,

"Oh, you can go. That was all I wanted to discuss. The Newsletter Committee meet after school on Wednesdays and Fridays. Try-outs for Track and Swim will be next week on Monday."

Rachel nodded, standing from her seat and gripping her back, slinging it over her shoulder and wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"Thank you sir."

She turned, Quinn smiling at her before motioning for her to follow. Rachel left the Principal's office, the two teachers still standing there conversing.

"Good morning Mr Shuester, Mr Dawson."

The two men smiled, looking at Rachel from the corner of their eyes.

"Good morning Ms Fabray. Have you completed last week's homework?"

Quinn nodded, her hand already on the door.

"Yes sir." She smiled, opening the door and motioning for Rachel to leave first.

"That was Mr Dawson, he's one of the English faculty. And Mr Shue is the Spanish teacher. He also co-directs Vocal Directions." Rachel nodded, looking around cautiously at the suddenly filled hallway.

"Anyway, I'm Head Cheerleader of the Cheerios, and I'm also in Vocal Directions." She pointed to a set of double doors. "That's the auditorium. Anyone's allowed in there at any time, except for after schools and unless VD are rehearsing at lunch, which we tend to do." Rachel glanced at the door, looking at it until they passed. "My locker's here, and you're only a few down from me." She led Rachel to her locker. "If you need anything, just come and ask. That," She pointed to a room at the end of the hall, "Is Ms Holiday's class. She's an Art teacher. That'll be your homeroom, and I'm right next door." The warning bell rang, and Quinn looked around.

"Come find me at lunch, and I'll help you around."

Rachel nodded, thanking Quinn quietly as the blonde waved, walking off to her homeroom. Rachel stood staring at her locker door, sighing. She turned and walked toward the room Quinn had pointed out. There were kids already in it, and a teacher sat on the desk at the front, her legs crossed Indian style as she laughed at a few of the kids. Rachel knocked timidly, the blonde woman turning her head. She grinned, extending her hand and waving for Rachel to enter.

"You'd be the new girl, yeah? Rachel, or something."

Rachel nodded, handing her a slip the teacher had to sign.

"I'm Ms Holiday, feel free to call me Holly." She glanced down at Rachel's schedule, beside the spot she has to sign. "And it looks like you have me third. Cool." Rachel smiled, taking the slip and thanking her. Holly winked, nodding her head in the direction of the back of the room. "There's a spare seat near the back, third from the right, last row." Rachel nodded, easing her way between the desks with both the teachers and the students eyes on her.

The final bell rang, and three more students barrelled in to the room, laughing and shoving at each other. They took their seats, and Holly began roll call.

"Jennifer Laurence."

"Here."

"Santana Lopez."

"Yeah."

It continued on, but Rachel noticed the girl a few rows in front, on the other side of the room. The Latina. She answered to Santana Lopez, and Rachel agreed. She definitely looked like a Santana. The girl was sitting sideways, leaning against the brick wall with her feet on the chair beside her, having pushed the boy originally sitting there on to the floor, where he now sat quietly reading a book.

"Rachel Watson."

Santana turned her head, looking at Rachel with a raised eyebrow. Rachel slowly raised her hand, calling out a meek 'Here' before lowering it again. Santana rolled her eyes, offering a tight smile before looking down at her phone.

Rachel looked away, looking at the clock. Typically, homeroom ran for twenty minutes, they had been there barely five. She sighed, opening a folder and looking down at her sketch book. Strands of hairs cascaded down, some covering her face, the rest running over her shoulder. She adjusted the beret on her head, looking down at she picked out a sketching pencil from her bag. She bit her lip, drowning out the world as the pencil met the paper. She drew a line, then another line, followed by another, until all that was seen was her hand jerking across the page in a series of lines and squiggles. It looked a mess, until slowly it formed in to a tree, a figure etched in to a branch. The figure sat there, her hair covering her face. Her ankles were crossed as she sat high up, and apple raised to her lips. Rachel was so focused on her drawing, biting her lip and sketching in detail, that she didn't realize the bell had rung. She startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she blinked in surprise at the Latina.

"Sup, I'm Quinn's friend. She said we have next period together. Asked me to show you the way." Rachel nodded, smiling softly as she stood from her seat, bending down to pick up her bag. Standing straight, she turned to see Santana looking down at her book.

"You're good. Ms H's gonna love you."

Rachel blushed, mumbling a 'thank you' as she shut her sketch book, clutching it to her chest. Santana shrugged, walking out the door after motioning for Rachel to follow.

"We've got History now, which is a total bore, but the teacher's hot so…" She trailed off, grinning as she spotted a boy leaning against the wall. "Yo Puckerman!"

Rachel looked to the boy, taking in his dark jeans, his white shirt and his letterman jacket. _Jock_. She froze, only to be dragged forward by Santana, who had linked arms with Rachel at some point.

"You coming to class today?"

The boy nodded, looking past Santana to Rachel, her eyes lowered to the floor as if trying to be invisible. He glanced down her body, approving of the Guns 'n' Roses shirt and the denim short shorts, the converse an added bonus point.

"Who's the babe?"

Rachel blushed, turning her head away as she still stared at the floor.

"New girl, remember? Rachel, this is Noah Puckerman, but everyone calls him Puck." Rachel nodded, flinching slightly as Noah extended a hand to shake. She looked up, wincing at the confused and shocked looks.

"Sorry. I've had trouble with Jocks before. Bullying was a huge thing at my last school."

Noah nodded, lowering his hand.

"Well, there's a no tolerance rule here. If you bully someone, they're usually suspended minimum two weeks, or expelled depending on the bullying."

Rachel smiled in relief, looking up.

"Great."

Santana rolled her eyes, taking Rachel's hand as she pulled her in to the classroom.

"We gots class Puckerman."

Noah waved, strolling down the hall and out of sight. Santana sat herself in her seat, beside a dark haired girl looking in to a mirror.

"Stare any longer Giselle, and the mirror will crack."

The girl Giselle glared, lowering the mirror.

"Shut it Lopez." She smiled though, indicating a some-what friendship between the two girls. Rachel looked around, seeing a spare seat beside a boy wearing a bowtie and his hair gelled. She crossed the room, standing beside the empty chair.

"Mind if I sit here?" She said quietly.

The boy nodded, smiling at her as she sat down.

"Blaine Anderson." He smiled.

"Rachel Watson."

The following classes were similar. She usually always had an escort with her, be it someone she'd met in class, someone Quinn had sent, or Quinn herself. She made it through Art without showing her adeptness in drawing. Drawing was her thing. A personal thing. She sighed as she entered the cafeteria, looking around the room before spotting Quinn sitting with more jocks and cheerleaders. Quinn looked up, catching Rachel's eye. Rachel grimaced, looking around her friends, before smiling apologetically. She motioned behind her, indicating her want to leave, and Quinn nodded, mouthing 'Are you okay?' to her from across the room.

Rachel nodded, leaving the cafeteria to walk the hallways along. She came to the doors leading to the auditorium. As far as she knew, Vocal Directions weren't rehearsing. Quinn said she was in it, and she was at lunch. She pushed open the doors, her eyes wide at the sheer size of it. She slowly descended the stairs, the auditorium so huge went lower and there was even a second landing, above the entrance Rachel had used. She climbed the stairs to the stage, standing centre stage and facing the back wall, staring in to the audience. She turned toward the stage, looking over it smiling as she found a piano. Sitting herself down, removing her bag and plopping it beside her, she smiled, lifting the lid. She placed her fingers down on the keys, pressing down softly and grinning as the note echoed throughout the 'supposed' empty auditorium. She closed her eyes, her fingers running over the ivory keys in a melody any Harry Potter fan would recognise as Lily's Theme. The bell rung, breaking her from her trance and she shut the lid, picking up her bag and hurrying off the stage, running up the stairs and through the door, missing two boys and Mr Shuester standing on the top level.

The day passed, and Rachel was walking home. She'd thanked Quinn, and her friends, and had decided to walk home rather than call her mother. She was home with no hassle, no rain nor dog chasing… Not that that would ever happen, right? She'd chucked her bag beside the door, her shoes following, before she hurried up the stairs, calling out a 'good' to her mother's 'How was your day?'.

She collapsed on her bed, lying on her back and staring at her ceiling. Boxes surrounded her, and Rachel really couldn't be bothered to un pack. They'd probably be moving in a month anyway, there really wasn't any point. She sighed, reaching out for the stuffed wolf and the baby blanket she'd had her whole life, her free hand clasped around the necklace she'd kept hidden, stuffed down her top. She closed her eyes, music notes and sketches filling her head, and she drifted to sleep with the sound of a scream and a cry as memories took over.

**A/N: You'll find you may have ideas about Rachel, I can assure you they're probably wrong. But if you have any, feel free to suggest them. I may stand corrected. Reviews would be great. They really brighten up my day. **


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